Sport Minister Trevor Mallard will commit NZ to backing the next America's Cup bid. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Government funding for another New Zealand tilt at the America's Cup would not be guaranteed if the National Party won the next election.
However, the party is open to the idea if Team New Zealand approach it seeking a commitment.
National Party sport and recreation spokesman Murray McCully
said yesterday that taxpayers and Parliament deserved a "fairly detailed account" of what the benefits were of the Government's $34 million investment in Emirates Team New Zealand.
While he conceded it was difficult to measure the investment return given that the regatta was taking place in Spain, Mr McCully said some effort had to made.
"You still have to justify what is in effect a Cabinet decision to spend a quite significant amount of money over and above the existing sports, tourism and trade budgets to support the event," Mr McCully said.
It is looking increasingly likely that the Government will agree shortly after the current America's Cup event to back another campaign, regardless of whether New Zealand win or lose.
Prime Minister Helen Clark on Monday stated her satisfaction with the returns the Government had received from its backing of the Team New Zealand campaign, pointing to the healthy tax take and exposure resulting from the event.
Sport Minister Trevor Mallard has indicated that a decision on future funding will have to be made quickly to lower the risk of other syndicates poaching the team's crew.
Mr McCully acknowledged that some decisions might need to be made quickly, but said it was hard to work out how pressing those issues were when nobody had talked to his party about them.
"I'm not in a position to make any commitments on behalf of the National Party because we have no information," he said.
Mr McCully said the International Rugby Board had talked with National about the Rugby World Cup's staging in New Zealand, but nobody from Team New Zealand had yet done the same thing.
"It's over to Team New Zealand, to some extent, if they want an indication of support, for them to approach us," he said. "It's not just a matter for Trevor Mallard."
National remains open to potentially providing some funding, although Mr McCully said it would need to be "kept in proportion" because many other sports and sectors were also seeking taxpayer money.
